During the First World War there was one infamous propaganda story that emerged
amongst the British and Canadian forces about a soldier who was brutally executed by the Germans.
The story of a young Canadian soldier who had been allegedly crucified by the enemy
shocked many within the allied powers, and it told of the barbarism and brutality of the enemy.
It portrayed the Germans as bloodthirsty and savage beasts who would main and kill their
enemy with un-necessary cruelty. Today we look at the Horrific execution of the crucified soldier,
debating what actually occurred on the Western Front and who was that fateful soldier
who was executed in such horrendous fashion. Remember as always to support please subscribe.
As the First World War took hold over Europe, propaganda was used in a number of ways to
help the war effort. It was a powerful tool for recruitment, getting thousands of men to sign up
to take part in the British Army for example, however one story that emerged in the early
stages of World War 1 came from within the men who fought on the Western Front.
During a retreat from Le Cateau in August 1914, rumours began to emerge about the German Army,
and the brutality of the enemy. A rumour came around that the German Army had crucified a member
of the British Epeditionary Force, however this was never confirmed. The British media tended to
ignore this at the time and wrote about other German atrocities at the time, to convince the
British public that the war that was being fought was a just one against an evil enemy.
However on the 10th May 1915, an atrocity was reported by the Times newspaper
under the title ‘Torture of a Canadian Soldier,’ written with information emerging from it’s
Paris correspondent. The piece stated that, Canadian soldiers who had been wounded at Ypres
had told that one of their senior officers had been crucified to a wall.
He had been captured by the enemy, and then pinned up on the wall with bayonets thrust through his
hands and feet, before he had a bayonet driven through his throat, and then he was shot at for
target practice, and was riddled with bullets. The soldiers stated that this had been seen by the
Royal Dublin Fusiliers, and the story emerged from this group. Private George Barrie reported that,
‘On the 24th day of April at St Julien, I saw a small party of Germans about 50 yards away,
I was horrified to see that a man in a British uniform was literally crucified,
being fastened to a post by eight bayonets. He was suspended about 18 inches from the ground,
the bayonets driven through his legs, shoulders, throat and testicles.’
The story was investigated two days after publication and the Under Secretary of State for
War was asked about it, and he it was discussed that the government had no such information as
to the atrocity having been committed, and were yet to find out about any such crucified soldier,
or Canadian officer. Inquries were then made about it. The story also reached the Toronto Star,
who published an interview with a British Red Cross medic. He told how a Captain of the 5th
Canadian Battalion had told him before he died of his wounds that he had personally seen a Canadian
Sergeant being crucified in France. It was also said how, the captain declared that he and a
medical officer, major and others signed sworn statements that they had witnessed the killing of
the soldier. They said that the Canadian sergeant was tied up boy the arms and legs to a tree
and stabbed 60 times by German bayonets. It was also reported in other newspapers,
that ‘wounded Canadians are all certain that the enemy is particularly vindictive towards them,
as the germans have been furious that the Canadians did not stay in Canada,
and instead helped the British. The Canadians all firmly believe that a soldier was crucified.’
But what actually happened? Was it all just propaganda? The Times later then published
a letter 5 days after the initial story broke confirming that the crucified soldier was in fact
a sergeant, and it also stated that the victim had been found fixed to a wooden fence of a farm
building. It was said that the soldier had also many stab wounds to his body, with the bayonets
securing him to the fence, and it also introduced the possibility that the soldier
could have been dead before he was crucified, with the ordeal being performed posthumously.
The speculation intensified, and on the 19th May, the question once again emerged in the
House of Commons, asking whether there was any truth or not to the crucifixion of a soldier,
or whether in fact more information emerged about another incident where Canadian soldiers retook
a position filled with injured servicemen, and then they found all of the wounded bad
been executed by bayonets by the Germans. It was clear that stories of atrocities committed
against British troops were emerging, but no official details emerged about either story.
British soldiers and officers in France conducted inquiries and more substantial investigations took
place. Colonel Ernest J Chambers, the Canadian Chief Censor began to look into the story of the
crucified soldier. He searched for eyewitnesses, and found one who swore he had seen not just one
but three Canadian Soldiers bayonetted to a door of a barn, three miles from St Julien.
Testimony was also obtained from two English soldiers who claimed that they saw the dead
body of a Canadian suspended from a barn door with bayonets, but this was later debated.
The story of the Crucified Soldier emerged as headline news all around the world.
There were different variations of the story that emerged, but the most common held the thread that
the Germans captured a Canadian soldier alive, and using their bayonets crucified him on a barn door,
and some even said they placed the victim onto a wooden cross, near to Sanctuary Wood near to
Ypres. In some accounts, the nationality of the solider was missed out. On particular account
taken from a Canadian soldier stated how he helped to take down the body of the crucificed soldier,
and confirmed he was a sergeant but also added that he was from the medical service,
and possibly from Brantford, a city in Ontario. He gave the name as Sergeant Thomas Elliot,
however Sergeant Elliot then wrote to his local priest confirming he was not involved.
But who was the Crucified Soldier? For years the story was investigation, but in the 21st century,
evidence came to light that stated that the story of the crucified solder was in fact
true. A British documentary film maker, uncovered information and evidence that pointed towards the
soldier being Sergeant Harry Band of the Central Ontario Regiment of the Canadian Infantry. Band
was reported as missing in action near to Ypres on the 24th April 1915, close to when the story of
the crucified soldier emerged. Other soldiers in his unit wrote to Band’s sister to express their
sympathies, and one of them later confirmed to her that Band had been in fact the crucified soldier.
His body was never recovered, and he is commemorated on the Menin Gate.
This evidence has been disputed, and contains a typewritten note from a British Nurse that states
Band was crucified after a battle at Ypres on one of the doors of a barn with 5 bayonets in him.
The story of the Crucified soldier is still debated today, however if true it’s most likely
that this occured. Following the fighting near to Ypres, the Germans captured a Canadian sergeant,
or recovered the body of a Canadian soldier near to the battlefield.
As a symbol of German strength, aggression and defiance against the allied powers,
they then crucified the soldier dead or alive on the door of a barn. This would have had an immense
effect on the allies, British and Canadians and would have been incredibly shocking to see.
War crimes were common during the First World War, as were atrocities so this sort of thing
could have occurred rather easily. The main aim of the crucified soldier was to shock,
and that’s certainly what occurred when the story reached the world’s press.
The event today is depicted in a statue known as Canada’s Golgotha, referring to the story of
Christ showing the Canadian soldier crucified on a barn surrounded by baiting and jeering Germans.
The sculpture caused controversy, and the Germans formally requested that it be
taken from public view and display as they denied that the story took place,
but the Canadians stated that they has sufficient evidence that the crucifixion was true.
The issue with the story of the execution of the crucified soldier is that no conclusive proof
hs been found that points towards a crucifixion having occurred. There was no body with the wounds
matching the injuries sustained with this sort of action for example holes inside of the hands,
feet and so on. But then again, still today there are bodies being discovered from
the intense fighting on the western front. Still today trenches are being discovered,
but one day the story of the crucified soldier may be put to rest. There are still so many untold
stories of the First World War, but the legacy of the conflict will never be forgotten, neither will
the devotion and dedication that those who gave their life for their countries. Lest we forget.
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